Best Budget Gaming Chair 2023

Gaming chairs might seem like a frivolous expenditure that’s especially hard to justify when the price tag is $500 or more. But these race seat-inspired thrones offer the full-back support and the adjustability gamers need for long stints of sitting in place. The good news is some affordable options are also available, which are made with quality materials and offer solid ergonomics, so you don’t need to give up your dreams of buying quality gaming peripherals.

The best budget gaming chairs can cost as little as $100. You might be afraid of going cheap and ending up with a chair that breaks apart after just a few hours, but you'll only find quality options below. The seats we recommend all offer ample cushioning that's soft to the touch and firm enough to prevent you from sinking into them. You’ll also get solid ergonomics in some with adjustable armrests, headrests, and lumbar support to keep you comfy for hours. There are even options with a tilt that lets you recline so far that you can almost lay flat or ones that let you rock around. So, if you're ready to pull a gaming chair up to your gaming desk or plop it in front of a gaming TV, check these out – and click here to find them in the UK.

TL;DR – These are the Best Budget Gaming Chairs:

Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair

Best Budget Gaming Chair

Corsair isn’t new to the gaming chair game, and that knowledge extends to their wallet-friendly option, the TC100 Relaxed. This racing-style throne offers a robust steel frame and wide seat packed with plush padding to ensure your behind is comfortable during long playing sessions. The entire seat is then wrapped in a durable leatherette or soft fabric material with perforated sections for extra breathability to stay cool during intense play sessions.

Setting you back only $250, TC100 Relaxed isn’t as feature-full as more expensive chairs, but it has all the basics you need. 2D armrests and a gas lift with a wide range of height adjustments make for an ergonomic alignment with your desk. There is no built-in lumbar support. However, back and neck pillows come with it, while a deep recline lets you kick back between matches.

OFM ESS Gaming Chair

Best Ultra Cheap Gaming Chair

Dropping the price even lower than the Cougar Explore S is the OFM ESS gaming chair. This option offers classic racing chair elements while avoiding the bucket seats, so you’ll have more freedom in finding the perfect position for your legs without those little wings getting in the way. Luckily, you still get a solid build that can hold up to 275 pounds, and it packs in high-density foam seats for a comfy place to rest your backside.

At such an affordable price, you do lose out on a robust feature set. You only get padded armrests that flip up and out of the way to scoot closer to your desk, while integrated lumbar and neck support can’t be customized. Beyond that, the seat can raise or lower, and a center tilt with adjustable tension allows you to lean back occasionally for deep relaxation.

Razer Enki X

Best Budget Racing-Style Gaming Chair

You don't need to spend a fortune to get a chair that feels like a bucket seat ripped right out of a race car, as the Razer Enki X does it on the cheap. This member of the Razer Enki lineup offers a similar chair to its more expensive sibling, and it’s really only missing reactive tilting and 4D armrests. You definitely don’t lose out on style with it offering the same sleek quilted fabric and synthetic leather design.

The Enki X still has all the usual ergonomics expected in a gaming chair. There are 2D armrests that can change their height and rotate inwards or outwards to find an ideal position for gaming, while a built-in lumbar arch encourages sitting with better posture. Though you don’t get the reactive tilt, you can still recline up to 152 degrees. And the wide, cushy seat with a slightly firmer back ensures you’re good for marathon gaming sessions.

Respawn 110 Fabric Gaming Chair

Best Budget Fabric Gaming Chair

See it on Respawn

A good chunk of gaming chairs feature PU leather or pleather for the haters, but if you’re gaming in shorts or a tank top, it doesn’t always feel great on the skin, especially when the inevitable sweat starts to happen. To avoid that sticky situation, you can snag a fabric option, like the Respawn 110, while still staying on budget. You’ll welcome this racing-style chair’s soft, breathable, and surprisingly durable material that’s ready for even your longest gaming sessions.

Respawn didn’t skimp on features, starting with its large, inviting seat toting built-in lumbar support and headrest, while a sturdy frame and piston can hold 275 pounds, so bigger gamers need not shy away. If you want to kick back after each match, you get a deep 135-degree recline, and the tilt tension is adjustable for a bit of rocking action. Unfortunately, the armrests don’t move, but at least it’s easy enough to adjust the seat height to get ergonomic positioning at your gaming desk.

Respawn 205 Gaming Chair

Best Budget Mesh Gaming Chair

If your gaming sessions tend to get a little steamy, a mesh gaming chair like the Respawn 205 is the way to go when on a budget. With this seat, you get a mesh backrest allowing for far more airflow than the typical PU leather. And even though it’s mesh, you don’t lose out on durability, as this chair lives on a steel frame that can support up to 275 pounds.

For the most part, the Respawn 205 is your typical gaming chair with a bucket seat, caster wheels, and pillows for your neck and lumbar. You also get a comfortable and wide PU leather molded foam seat with a decent range of height adjustments, making this a viable option for tall and short gamers alike. When it comes to getting a comfortable seating position, the included 4D armrests help with those ergonomics, and you can kick back with a 130-degree recline that locks in three positions.

Nouhaus Ergo3D

Best Budget Ergonomic Gaming Chair

When grabbing a budget gaming chair, the first features to go are often the ones that help with ergonomics. Luckily, the Nouhaus Ergo3D lets you get comfortable on a budget, as it offers 4D adjustable armrests for ideal positioning to reach your mouse and keyboard. However, the backrest is extra special, with separate sections for your lumbar, upper back, and neck, ensuring you’ll be happy sitting for hours.

The Nouhaus Ergo3D lets you stay comfy and cool while gaming, thanks to its mesh seat and backrest for extra breathability. And durability won’t be a concern, as this chair is rated to hold 275 pounds with its five-point aluminum base and rollerblade-style wheels to roll around smoothly and silently. It also provides a good degree of recline for relaxation, while gamers of any size can enjoy the benefits of this ergonomic chair with its wide range of height adjustments.

Big Joe Roma Chair

Best Cheap Beanbag Chair

See it on Walmart

The Big Joe Roma is a bean bag chair that's grown up a bit to provide better comfort and support. With such a low price, you can even grab a set of them to surround your living room gaming setup for all your friends to relax while playing. It comes in several color options, too, so you can pick a seat that best matches your room’s aesthetic.

You'll be able to lean back and lounge in this heavily stuffed seat featuring a special arch shape. But if you ever find the bean bag chair losing its original comfiness, it’s easy to refill with new beans. And at 2 feet wide, the Roma should comfortably seat most, while double stitching and an easily cleanable fabric make this seat surprisingly durable.

Homall High-Back Racing Chair

Best Budget Big and Tall Gaming Chair

See it on Newegg

It’s hard to find a big and tall gaming chair that’s also super cheap, but luckily, there’s the Homall High-Back Racing Chair. For $100, you get a seat that rests on a sturdy steel frame and five-star base, holding a max load of 300 pounds to accommodate heavier gamers. If you’re on the taller side, it’s also an effective fit thanks to that seat’s 20.5-inch depth and the gas lift height adjustments from 17 to 22 inches.

The Homall High-Back Racing Chair is surprisingly comfortable with its high-density foam seat, though it is on the narrower side at 14.5 inches. Adding to the ergonomics are moveable pillows for your neck and lumbar, but unfortunately, the armrests don’t adjust. And when you want to take a break from the game, you can tilt the seatback 180° for added comfort or even rock.

X Rocker Mammoth

Best Budget Rocking Gaming Chair

If you don't need all the bells and whistles of a rolling, deep-reclining, and pillow-loaded gaming chair, then the X Rocker Mammoth offers a solid but simple rocking alternative. This rocker sits on top of a pedestal that lets you swivel all around, and you can adjust tilt to get the rocking to your liking. It also has padded armrests and built-in lumbar support to ensure you’re comfortable during marathon gaming sessions.

The X Rocker Mammoth offers a more unique feature, as it’s packing speakers and a subwoofer in the chair ready to connect to your gaming consoles for a more immersive gaming experience. And though the simple black faux leather styling isn’t a huge eyesore, the chair does fold up for easy storage. It’s also important to note that this rocker doesn’t have the biggest dimensions, so it’s best for smaller players.

Where to Get the Best Budget Gaming Chairs in the UK

Unfortunately, a vast number of gaming chairs on this list are currently either out of stock or completely not available in the UK at the moment. This will likely change in the future and we will update this page accordingly when it does. Right now the only chair on this list that is available to buy in the UK, is the AKRacing Core Series EX ⁠— which can be found at Amazon.

What to look for in a Budget Gaming Chair

Buying affordable furniture is tricky, but don’t worry the gaming chairs above aren't lemons. However, if you'd rather find a budget-friendly option on your own, here are a few things you should look out for.

Starting at the base, you want a strong foundation for your gaming chair. At this price point, most, if not all seats have a base made of plastic, which is fine as long as you double-check the thickness of the material for sturdiness.

The next thing you'll want to look at is the padding, and once again, thickness wins here. There's nothing worse than sitting on a thin cushion that’ll make you sore in the long run.

Upholstery is important to check for quality. If it looks like a cheap pleather chair upon first inspection, chances are it is, and it'll start cracking and peeling on you after just a few months (or even weeks) of usage. When grabbing a mesh chair, you also want to ensure it’s strong and sturdy. Otherwise, it could start sagging.

No matter which type of gaming chair you choose, you'll want good, adjustable ergonomics. When we say that, we mean a chair with customizable lumbar support, adjustable armrests, levers for tilt and height, and a movable headrest. For the most part, all the gaming chairs on this list include at least one to all the points of adjustability mentioned, and you'll want to take advantage of them.

Wondering if you should buy an office chair instead? Check out our guide to the gaming chairs vs. office chairs for more info.

Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.

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